Transplanter for tobacco and other plants



(No Model.)

D. GLOW. TRANSPLAN-TER-FORTOBACCO:AND OTHER PLANTSi Patented Oct. 11, 1887.

INVENTOR ATTORNEYS.

WITNESSES UNITED STATES PATENT Fr es.

DANIEL CLOXV, OF J ANESVILLE, \VISCONSIN.

TRANSPLANTER FOR TOBACCO AND OTHER PLANTS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 371,426, dated October 11,1887.

Application filed July 5, 1887. Serial No. 243,475.

To (LZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that LDANIEL GLow, of Janosville, in the county ofRock and State of \Viscousin, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Transplanters for Tobacco and other Plants,of which the following is a specification.

My invention is in the nature of a transplanter for tobacco-plants, and also for other plants such as sweet potatoes, cabbage, &c.; and it eonsistsin the peculiar construction and arrangement of parts, whereby the tobaccoplant is taken, deposited in the ground. the earth packed around it, and a quantity of wa ter delivered upon it inasingle operation and in a simple, practical, and rapid manner, as will be hereinafter fully described.

Figure 1 is a vertical transverse section of the machine,takenlongitudinally through the reservoir. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section of the machine at right angles to the reservoir. Fig. 3 is a perspective view in detail of the feeding devices for the plants. Fig. 4 is a detail view showing the transfer of the plant to the wheel, and Fig. 5 isa detail of the valve-adjusting mechanism.

In the drawings, A A representthe end bars, and A A the side bars, of the rectangular frame of my transplanter.

B B are the wheels, which are connected rigidly together by an axial hollow reservoir, 0, for water.

D is the feedtablempou which the plants are placed by hand. This table extends from the front end bar to the rear end bar between the wheels and bridges over the reservoir.

Both sides of my transplantcr are constructed to operate exactly alike,aud as each wheel has its own set of planting devices duplicated upon opposite sides of the machine it will only be necessary to describe those on one side of the machine.

From the front end bar to the rear end bar on each side there extend beneath the reservoirO two curved bars, D D, having attached at their front ends a plow or furrow-opener, D, made V-shaped in horizontal section and extending back to about the vertical line of the wheels.

On the inside of each wheel, in radial position and near the outer periphery, is rigidly (No model.)

fixed a pocket, a, made of curved sheet metal and open on one side. Beside this pocket on its open side there is loosely connected to the wheel a latch or finger, b, which is hung to the wheel so as to swing about its point of connection, and the hole in it is made elongated also, so as to allow a slight longitudinal motion. This latch has an inwardly-projecting pin, 11, and the motion of said latch is limited and regulated by two lateral]y-projccting pins, 1) b attached to the side of the wheel.

To the side of the feed-table D is loosely hung (upon an axis radial to the wheel) a tilt ing plate, 0, having a curved lip at its end and a loose end, 0, projecting into the range of engagement of the pocket on the wheel. On the edge of the feed-table beside this tilting plate there is a rigid cam-flange, d, which is engaged by the pin I) on the latch b, for the purpose hereinafter described.

The operation ofthcse parts of my invention is as follows, reference being had to the perspective detail shown in Fig. 3: The plants are laid on the tilting plate 0 on thetable, one at a time, by hand, as hereinafter described, the

roots of the plants being toward the forward end of the machine. Now, when the wheel revolves, the pocket it comes round to and in range of contact with the projecting end a of the tilting plate holding the plant, and, striking said plate, turns it into a vertical position, as shown in Fig. 4, which dumps the plant sidewise into the open side of the pocket. Immediately following this action the pin Z) on latch bstrikes againstthestationary cam-flange d, which latter raises the latch longitudinally (by reason of its slot) and removes the inner end of the latch from pin V, which held it away from the pocket, and allows the latch, the in stantthe plant is tilted into the pocket, to close down upon the plant from gravity and hold it. This action takes place just as the pocket approaches the horizontal position, and the plant thus held with roots outwardly moves down with the wheel into the hollow space of the furrow-opener, and just as it reaches the vertical line the latch drops baek'from gravity, and the dirt, falling in at the rear end of the plow, seats the plant in the ground in upright position, the leaves being held from clods and the packing-wheel e by the pocket, which latter grada in the rear end bar, which perforated links .rows at a time.

ually rises from the plant. A quantity of water is at this moment delivered to the plant by devices hereinafter described, and the packing-wheel e, hung upon the curved bars,'mashes the earth solidly to the plant, thus completing the operation. For delivering this water to the plant at the proper-moment the hollow axial reservoir containing water is provided with a nozzle, f, placed in line with each pocket, and this nozzle has a valve, f,within it, which is held closed normally by a springrod, 9, on the outside of the reservoir. This nozzle is provided with a tubing or spout that extends down close to the ground to pre vent the water from being scattered, and just as the plant has been set, as before described, the spring-rod g strikes a longitudinal rod or bar, E, and is raised by the latter to permit of g a temporary discharge of water. These rods E are fastened to the end frame in front, and at the rear are connected to perforated links or plates Z, that pass through metal-faced slots have a notch, and also keys or bolts adapted to the several holes, and by which the rods are raised or lowered to give a greater or less For supplying the feed-table with plants a boy is employed on each side of the machine, and to accommodate them a low step or platform, F, is hung upon each side frame, upon which '-the boy stands, and a guard-rail, G, keeps him from contact with the wheel, while a curved arm, G, prevents him from falling off or losing his balance. WVith the construction thus described the plants are set without injury, rapidly, and at a uniform depth, two

I'have shown, for the sake of simplicity, but one pocket, latch, and valve on each wheel; but it is obvious that any number may be employed to act in precisely the same manner.

H is the drivers seat, mounted upon the rear end bar, and I is the draft-pole, attached to the front end bar and connected by chains or draft-rods to the front ends of the plows.

In making and using my invention I do'not confine myself to the automatically-acting tilting plate for feeding the'plan'ts t0 the wheel, but may in some cases place the plants directly in thepockets by hand.

Having thus described my claim as new is- 1. A transplanterconsisting of a wheel or wheels arranged to run upon the ground and provided with radial pockets a upon the side and near the periphery, one side of which pockets is entirely open to receive the plants laterally, in combination with clamp devices for holding the plants in said pockets while moving down to the ground, substantially as shown and described.

2. A transplanter consisting of a wheel or wheels with pockets, combined with a rotating Water tank moving with said wheels, substantially as and for the purpose described.

3. The combination of a plow or furrowopener,a wheel with one or more radial pocketopenings at the side, a stationary tilting plate arranged to be struck by the pocket to dump the plant laterally into the pocket, and a latch or finger for holding the plant in said pocket till it is deposited in the ground, substantially as and for the purpose described.

4. The combination, with a planter, of a rotating water-tank having valved openings, and means, substantially as described, for openinvention, what I ing said valves when the outlets pass to the underside of the reservoir, substantially as and for the purpose described.

5. The combination of the wheels, an axially-located revolving reservoir with valves mounted upon spring-rods g, and the rods E,

arranged to be struck by the valve-rods to open the valves, substantially as shown and described.

6. The combination, with the feed-table having tilting plate a and cam-flange dfof the wheel having pocket at and pins b b, latch or finger b, with pin b, and the furrow-opener,a.l arranged substantially as shown and described.

DANIEL CLOVV.

\Vitnesses:

-ANGIE J. KING,

MARGARET K. MILTIMORE. 

